Mu Qing secretly brought Princess Consort Zhao some food and daily necessities.
This way, Hua Manman and Qing Huan no longer had to worry about starving.
They managed to settle into the secret chamber for the time being.
Mu Qing also kept Princess Consort Zhao informed about what was happening in the outside world.
For instance, not long after obtaining the Jade Seal, Princess Consort Zhen had joined forces with the Empress Dowager and several senior ministers from the Central Secretariat to publicly announce the imperial edict appointing the Seventh Prince as the Crown Prince.
This made the Seventh Prince, Li Qiong, the legitimate heir to the throne.
However, Prince Wu Zhang—Li Ying—and Wu Wang denied the edict’s contents, claiming it was a forgery by Princess Consort Zhen.
Naturally, Princess Consort Zhen refused to accept this.
The two sides became locked in a bitter dispute.
This, however, bought Prince Zhao precious time.
He led his eighty-thousand-strong army back, marching day and night. A journey that should have taken over a month was cut down to a mere ten days.
With Prince Zhao’s imminent return, Wu Wang knew he could delay no longer.
He ordered the Night Owl Guard to capture Princess Rouwan and Elder Zhong’an’s family.
Fortunately, Hua Manman had already prepared. She had invited Princess Rouwan to live with everyone at the manor and arranged for soldiers from the Tiger Roar Camp to set up camp nearby.
The moment the Night Owl Guard appeared, the Tiger Roar Camp soldiers were on high alert.
The soldiers split into two groups: one to hold off the Night Owl Guard, and the other to retreat with Princess Rouwan and Elder Zhong’an’s family.
They fled south along a pre-planned route.
As it happened, they ran right into the army led by Prince Zhao.
Princess Rouwan and Elder Zhong’an’s family were rescued.
But they couldn’t fully relax, because Manman was still in the palace, her fate unknown.
Madam He pleaded through her tears.
"I beg you, Your Highness, please save our Manman! She’s pregnant and about to go into labor. If anything happens to her, it’ll mean two lives lost!"
Princess Rouwan also stared at Li Ji, her tone firm.
"I don’t care what you have to do, you must get Manman out of there!"
Li Ji was even more frantic than they were.
That was his wife and his daughter—the treasures of his heart!
He’d be heartbroken if they so much as lost a single strand of hair, let alone in a situation like this.
He would risk his own life to get them out safe and sound.
The army quickened its pace and pressed onward.
When Wu Wang learned that the Night Owl Guard he had dispatched had failed, his heart sank.
But he didn’t panic. Instead, he grew even calmer.
He said to Li Ying,
"Prince Zhao probably doesn’t know that the Princess Consort has escaped. We can use that to threaten him."
Li Ying rubbed his temples wearily. "Prince Zhao is not that easy to fool. If he doesn’t see Manman, he won’t fully believe we have her."
Wu Wang countered, "But he can’t be certain she *isn’t* in our hands, either. He won’t dare to take that gamble."
He knew exactly how important the Princess Consort was to Prince Zhao.
Even with the slightest possibility of her being harmed, Prince Zhao wouldn’t act rashly.
Li Ying said, "That’s not a long-term solution."
Wu Wang replied, "We still have one piece we haven’t played."
Li Ying stared at him.
"You’re talking about Bian Ziming..."
Wu Wang smiled. "After all the effort we spent cultivating our mole, it’s finally time for him to be of use. Let’s hope he doesn’t disappoint us."
That afternoon, Bian Ziming was on his routine patrol atop the city wall when he suddenly saw a squad of Night Owl Guards storming up onto the ramparts.
"General Bian, we suspect you of embezzling military funds and fraudulently claiming military honors. Please come with us!"
Bian Ziming laughed in disbelief.
"Just because you bastards say I broke the law, that makes it true? Where’s your proof? Show it to me!"
The leader of the Night Owl Guard said coldly,
"The Night Owl Guard acts on behalf of the court. We need your cooperation, General Bian!"
Provoked, Bian Ziming ripped open the front of his tunic, baring the scars on his chest and glaring at them.
"See these scars?
Every single scar on my body is from fighting the enemy on the battlefield.
And you have the gall to say I fraudulently claimed my honors?
If you’ve got the guts, look at these scars and say those four words—’fraudulently claimed my honors’—again! Say it!!"
But the Night Owl Guard acted as if they hadn’t seen the scars, insisting on taking him in for investigation.
When Bian Ziming refused to go, the Night Owl Guard resorted to force.
A fierce clash erupted between the two sides.
More and more Night Owl Guards rushed to the scene, and even the garrisons from the other three city gates arrived to help them deal with Bian Ziming and the Tiger Roar Camp.
The Tiger Roar Camp, led by Bian Ziming, found themselves at a disadvantage.
For their own survival, they were forced to retreat from the South City Gate.
The moment they left, the South City Gate was slammed shut from the inside.
By the time Prince Zhao arrived at Shangjing City with his eighty-thousand-strong army, he found Bian Ziming and the Tiger Roar Camp hiding in the nearby forest.
The South City Gate had already changed hands. The men guarding it now belonged to Prince Wu Zhang’s faction.
Prince Zhao and Bian Ziming could no longer coordinate an attack from both inside and outside the city as planned.
Bian Ziming was overcome with guilt. The moment he saw Prince Zhao, he dropped into a practiced sliding kneel and cried out.
"I have been incompetent! I failed to hold the South City Gate for you, Your Highness! I am willing to accept any punishment!"
The two deputy generals behind Bian Ziming also knelt, pleading for Prince Zhao’s forgiveness.
Li Ji had long expected this, so he wasn’t particularly disappointed.
’If I were Li Ying, I wouldn’t let a major thorn in my side like Bian Ziming guard the South City Gate, either. I’d do whatever it took to get rid of him.’
’Good thing Bian Ziming was quick on his feet. Otherwise, he’d likely be a corpse by now.’
Li Ji told them to rise and speak.
As Bian Ziming and his two deputy generals stood, Li Ji’s gaze swept over their faces.
And it was in that moment that he read all three of their minds.
Bian Ziming was thinking, ’Prince Zhao is finally back! I’ve had it up to here with those sons of bitches from the Night Owl Guard. When I lead my troops back in, I’ll beat them so hard they’ll be picking their teeth up off the floor!’
But his two deputy generals were thinking—
’How can I complete the mission Duzhu Wu gave me? This is a golden opportunity to prove my worth. I can’t disappoint the Supervisor.’
’Do I really have to betray General Bian and Prince Zhao? I don’t want to be a traitor. But the Night Owl Guard has my family. I have no other choice.’
Li Ji’s lips curled into a silent, cold smile.
’So, the two deputy generals beside Bian Ziming are both moles planted by Wu Wang.’
’It seems Wu Wang deliberately sent his men to provoke Bian Ziming, all so he would take his men, leave Shangjing, and run to me for help.’
’Once we made contact, the moles at Bian Ziming’s side would have a chance to make a move on me.’
’The plan is certainly viable. A shame that Wu Wang miscalculated one crucial step—’
’He doesn’t know that I have the Mind Reading Technique.’